University of Virginia Library

Actus tertius.

Enter Antiochus, Hircanus, Aristobulus, and Ctesiphon.
Ant.
No Ctesiphon vnsheath thy bloodie sworde,
And shew it staind and cankred with the gore,
that issued from that vaunting Persians heart.
What draw man, and shew thy iust conceale.
thy pay is prest in readie numbred golde,

Cte.
My Lord and king I beare no bloodie sworde,
Nor staind with gore of Persians Cyrus heart,
A prince he is farre from delite in blood,
Milde, louely, vertuous, wise and bountifull,
Able to reconcile his greatest foes,
And make great princes of his meanest friends.

Ant.
Thy going was to compasse Cyrus death,
How haps thy purpose ends without effect?

Cte.
The Persian prince inclines to tearmes of truce,
and craues the friendship of Antiochus,
So please my Lord the king to firme a peace,
For briefe whereof his letters I present,
Signed and deliuered with his royall hand,
Sincerely tending to the same effect,
Whereto if once your highnesse condiscend,
He will withdraw his armies from Assyria,
And on the couenants sealde dissolue his campe.

Ant.
In case the Persian prince be so inclinde,
thy answere shall lesse offend my mind.
Cyrus to Antiochus, health,

This bearer cōming to my camp armd with resolution
to kill me, and intreated more honorably then either his
trecherie or thine could deserue.

Apprehend Ctesiphon.
Cte.

What reades my Lord aright, or doth he faine?

Hir.
That you shall know before you start againe.

Vpon the instant purpose of his interprice, it pleased
God to confound him with such horror of conscience,
that vncōstraind he cōfest the treason, & intreated pardon,
vowing himselfe so far forth friend to Cyrus, that
for his sake he would kill Antiochus. I was content to
sooth the man in his villanie, because I would haue thee
know the difference twixt an open fo & a dissembling
friend, I giue thee this notice, not because I loue thee, or
regard thy life but because a villain shall not triumph in
the murder of him whom I account an honorable conquest
of my self Reward him according to his merits, &
prepare to fight with me for thy own honor. Farewell.

Cte.
Theis thanklesse Persian whom I spared from death.
Bequites me with the betraying of my life,

Ant.
What answere maketh traiterous Ctesiphor?

Cte.
O prince my guilt is plaine before my face,
And witnesde with a princes seale,
To stande vpon deniall were but vaine,
where open proofe conuicts me of offence,
I say no more, but prostrate at your feete,
Submit my selfe to mercie of my Lord,

Ant.
Such mercie as to traitors doth belong,
Such, and no better Ctesiphon shall finde,
Disarme him of his martiall abiliment.
Disgrade him of all titles of regarde,
And then referre his attachment to your prince,

Hir.
This cote of armes, the badge of honor wun,
Through praise and vertue of thy auncestors,
We rent it from that traiterous backe of thine,
And as an honour stainde with villanie,
In deepe disdaine we stampe it vnder foote,

Arist.
This sworde that once was girt vnto thy side,
To be employde in seruice of thy prince,
Now vowde to gore the bowels of his grace,
we breake it here vpon thy traiterous head,

Hir.
These squares of knighthoode that present the pride,
and honour due, to chiualrie and armes,
whose prickes should force the proud couragious steed
with thundering race to breake the riders launce,
Thus doe we hew them from thy traiterous heeles,

Ant.
Thou art no man of honour nor of armes,
Thou hast no title of Gentilitie,
Nor stile of honour, left hereof to vaunt,
But art become inferious of regarde.
Then is the basest bondman of Assyria,
Or vilest slaue that hauntes the Lidian dames.

Arist.
Dishonoured traitor, now prepare thy selfe,
To yeeld thy head vnto the hangmans axe,

Cte.
Not fate but my demerits makes me die,
O now I finde Niltutum proditor.

Exeunt.
Enter Histaspis Araspas.
Ara.
I feare the furie of the Persian prince,
Histaspis, Cyrus furie I doe feare,

Hist.
And wrath of princes, what is it but death?
Araspas on my honour make a proofe,
And neuer shunne the presence of our Lord,
A prince he is most milde and mercifull,
Soone mollified with vowes and penitence,
And though with great impacience he endure,
Your threatned violence to the Susan Queene,
Yet your submission and desire of grace,
Will pearce him with compassion of your sute,
And purchase pardon at his royall handes.

Ara.
O spitefull beautie that bewitcht my minde,
And led my fancie to such foule extreames,
I will assay the mercie of my Lorde,
And yeeld my life to hazzard of his grace,

Hist.
And doubt not but of Cyrus you shall finde,
A pitifull and passing gracious prince.

Enter Cyrus.
Cy.
Histaspis and the rest, withdraw your selues,
Onely Araspas stay behind with me.

Ara.
My souereigne Lord in trembling feare I stay,
And prostrate fall before your highnesse feete,
The fraile affects and errours of my youth,
Enforsed through follies of a wanton will,
Hath cast my life in perill of your wrath,
Blinded with charmes of beautie I haue falne,
And made my iudgement subiect to desire.
And in pursute of loues vnbrideled rage,
I haue transgrest the bounds of honours lawes,
O gracious Lord impute my error past,
Vnto the power of proud commanding gloue,
That led my minde and thought so farre astray,
Forgiue those frailties of my youth, O king,
And take your seruant once againe to grace,
with feare of your displeasure almost slaine.

Cy.
Force to a Queene, and she a captiue too,
A Persian Lord so farre misled with lust,
Intend dishonour to a sillie dame,
Araspas they that would be conquerors,
Should chiefly learne to conquer their desire,
Least while they seeke dominion ouer others,
They proue but slaues and bondmen to themselues.
Now where are those your big and braue disputes,
Wherein you pleaded loue was voluntarie,
And fancie left and intertaind at will,
When you imbrace it in such raging heate,
That where intreaties faile of your desires,
You fall from vowes to violence with the dame,
Araspas for the excuse of this offence,
You find no president in Cyrus life.

Ara.
I know and grant my Lord, the prince abounds
with pearelesse gifts and graces of the minde,
wherewith the gods haue fild his kingly breast,
There nought but vertuous motions taketh roote,
Nothing but honour harbours in that seate,
And holy thoughts direct his royall deedes.
That so his grace might euerie way be found,
worthie the glorie of so hie a charge,
Yet since these frailties that disgrace your thrall,
are humane faults and incident to minde,
Where strong desires hold reason vnder yoke,
The wonted mercie of my Lord the prince,
So prone in fauour to the penetent,
May mittigate the shame of this my fault.
With sweete compassion to his princes thrall.

Cyr.
Araspas I remit thee this amisse,
although blame worthie in the hiest degree,
and for your tried deserts in martiall praise,
I am content this follie to forget,
Yet would I haue it seeme vnto the world,
That my displeasure made you flie from me,
And so reuolted to the Assyrian armes,
There this suppose shall make you intertainde,
and highly fauoured of that gracelesse king,
By meanes whereof full safely you may learne,
The garrison and strength of Babylon,
The vtmost force and puissance of our foes,
With euerie purpose of Antiochus,
The time and place where he intents to fight,
Then hauing learnde the full of euerie thing,
In secrete you may scape againe to me.
With iust relation of the Assyrian campe.
This seruice if you please to vndertake,
You shall effect a singuler good turne,
and reape mortall thanks at Cyrus hands.

Ara.
No longer let Araspas liue and breath,
Then with the vtmost venture of his life,
He will performe what Cyrus shall command.
And sacred price for this extended grace,
Though in the compasse of this hard affaire,
I leaue th'Assyrian faction to maintaine,
yet vow to beare a trustie Persian heart.

Cy.
Then go with fortune, and returne with health
and grant the gods this enterprice of thine,
May end and prosper with desirde effect.

Ara.
And grant the gods that Cyrus still may liue,
happie in peace, and in armes victorious.

Cy.
To pacifie the angrie Pantheas moode,
I will perswade her of Araspas flight.
That he is reuolted to the Assyrian king.

Enter Panthea.
Pan.
Readie the humble handmaid of my Lord.

Cyr.
To calme the heate of your offended mind,
Thus haue I lost as braue a warriour,
As euer trode vpon the Persian fields.

Pan.
What warrior means my Lord and conqueror?

Cy.
Araspas, who in feare of my displeasure,
I fled from me vnto th'Assyrian campe,
And hath forsooke the Persians colours quite,
Thus madame for your sake hath Cyrus done,
Euen lost the worthiest souldier of his band.

Pan.
Cyrus let not his losse perplex your minde,
If you will let me send a messenger,
Vnto my Lord and husband Abradates,
I know for these your princely fauours done,
To me his wife in this my captiues plight,
He will attend your fortune in the warres.
With more sincere affection, loue and zeale,
Then euer that vngracious person did.
Againe, my Lord my husband is a knight,
As forward treads, and fortunate in armes,
As euer spred his colours in the field.

Cyr.
Is it likely Abradatus will forsake,
His natiue prince to follow forraine armes,

Pan.
The father of this king by Cyrus slaine,
was highly loued and honourde of my Lord,
This now that reignes affected Pantheas bed,
Sought to prucure a most vniust diuorce,
Betwixt my best beloued Lord and me,
who therefore beares him an immortall hate,
The starres of which incurable dispight,
Remaine so deepe inprinted in his thought,
That ten times blessed would he thinke himselfe,
To finde a fit occasion for reuenge.

Cy.
Beleeue me Madam, if your Lord be armde,
With such sore grounded malice to the prince,
His helpe may greatly further my affaires,
And therefore if you can procure the man,
To stand assistant to the Persian armes,
You shall deserue great thankes at Cyrus hand,

Pan.
Cyrus, I will presume to make my Lord
A trustie follower of the Persian armes,
And him your highnesse shall not faile to finde,
A noble friend and valiant gentleman.

Cy.
And Madam, he shall want at Cyrus hands,
No praise, nor honour due to good deserts.

Exeunt.